KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli has said his government support the aggressive approach used by the police when fighting crime as the criminals are also aggressive towards the police as crime weakens business confidence to the potential investors.
The Premier was addressing the delegates who attended the Social Crime Prevention Summit at the Olive Convention Centre organised by his office.
Many communities around the province are living in fear everyday as the level of crime exacerbates in the province.
The Summit takes place after a few incidents took place in schools in the province.
A Grade R teacher was recently gunned down by unknown gunmen in front of the learners inside the classroom at Phikiswayo Primary School in Ntuzuma, North of Durban.
In another incident, teachers were robbed of their belongings at Mukelani Primary School also in Kwa-Mashu.
KwaZulu Natal Police Commissioner who has been commended for fighting crime Provincial Commissioner Lieutenent-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi was also in attendance including the government departments as well as the relevant stakeholders like the community crime prevention structures, private security sector, traditional leaders, councillors and other relevant structures.
Addressing the KZN legislature,His Majesty the Zulu King MisuZulu kaZwelithini also supported the summit and urged government to invite the traditional leaders as the level of crime is also on the rise in rural areas.
The Premier said the strategies deliberated at the summit will be implemented with speed to respond to the crime in the province because many people are killed including the police in the province.
He explained that his government will be visiting all districts and ultimately to the hotspot crime areas and stressed that “what is important is that our direction is pointing to every citizen of the province to know that each and everyone has a role to play in fighting crime in the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
The Premier is concerned as crime affects the economic growth, job opportunities and also cause the confidence of potential investors to weaken by the levels of crime.
Commissioner Mkhwanazi said the province should be having such gatherings every day and urged communities to invite the police f they wish to deliberate on strategies.
He said it was still a concern that the so called experts are quick to judge and say the police are wrong for killing the criminals.
“They are quick to judge to judge. They don’t want the justice system to take its course. We don’t encourage the heavy handedness of the police, we always encourage the members to operate within the confines of the law. You respect human rights, we treat everyone with respect. That is why there are so many criminals in prison, because those are the criminals that realise that they have done wrong, ” said Mkhwanazi.
Recently the police in the province killed five criminals in Inanda while the other five were also killed in Cato-Crest following a shoot-out with police.